Vicar sacked for performing baptism in boxer shorts at Herefordshire home

Mr Evans was the vicar of Bromyard and Stoke Lacy in Herefordshire

A vicar has been sacked after performing an "immersion" baptism at a parishioner's home in his boxer shorts.

Rev Clive Evans was suspended in 2019 after he also touched a child and another person on their bottoms on separate occasions without consent.

A Church of England tribunal ruled his misconduct was serious and banned him from holding office for six months.

The Diocese of Herefordshire "apologised unreservedly" to those affected by his behaviour.

Mr Evans, the vicar of Bromyard and Stoke Lacy, was asked to perform the "full immersion" baptism in April 2017 in the bath of a person's home which was filmed by the family.

The tribunal in December heard that he said he was due to go on holiday with his wife but the agitated nature of the person requesting the baptism on behalf of a family member eventually persuaded Mr Evans to visit the home.

He had "ample time" to consider what would be appropriate to wear, the panel said, before he said he "explained" to the family at their home he would just be in his boxer shorts.

'Loss of boundaries'

Mr Evans claimed the family were happy with it, however "unchallenged" evidence from them stated he "…then started to remove his shirt which I thought was fair enough seeing as he didn't want to get it wet, however when he started taking his shorts off I was shocked and thought to myself 'why is he undressing completely in front of [us]?'."

The family did not indicate unhappiness at the time, the panel said.

Professional conduct of the clergy guidelines advise that for pastoral work, several factors should be considered including the proximity of other people, the dress of the minister, appropriate to the context, while "taking particular care to assess the extent to which others may experience or perceive behaviour to be inappropriate".

In relation to the two incidents of touching without consent, the panel said the first occurred as a person, a child at the time, was exiting Mr Evans' car in February 2018.

The second, the tribunal panel said, "more likely than not" took place as Mr Evans hugged someone after a church in March 2019.

In its findings published last month, the panel said of Mr Evans, an experienced clergyman, "ultimately resolved on the balance of probabilities that in some limited but critical respects... had not told the truth".

"The Panel was satisfied that there was a pattern of behaviour in this case. There were three instances of misconduct in a three-year period," it said.

It added that there was there was "a loss of boundaries on the part of Reverend Evans".

Mr Evans must undertake several training courses including relating to safeguarding of children, vulnerable adults, pastoral boundaries.